


[meta] I want 15 minutes of your time. Seriously, this is important.

by akamine_chan



Category: Fandom - Fandom, Meta - Fandom
Genre: Meta, Podfic, Podfic Meta
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-11-14
Updated: 2012-11-14
Packaged: 2019-03-01 00:12:50
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,519
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13282833
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/akamine_chan/pseuds/akamine_chan
Summary: Doyouhave a transformative works policy in place?





	[meta] I want 15 minutes of your time. Seriously, this is important.

**Author's Note:**

> This is podfic meta I wrote in 2012 for [pod_aware](https://pod-aware.dreamwidth.org/)'s Podfic Appreciation Week. I've updated links where appropriate.
> 
> Substantial edits and suggestions from [klb](https://archiveofourown.org/users/klb/). Thank you.

>   
>  Transformative works (from the [Fanlore](http://fanlore.org) [entry)](http://fanlore.org/wiki/Transformative_Works): Transformative works are creative works about characters or settings created by fans of the original work, rather than by the original creators. Transformative works include but are not limited to fanfiction, real person fiction, fan vids, and graphics.

  
I want you to go to the profile of your primary fannish home, be it LiveJournal or Dreamwidth or Tumblr or Twitter. Look at your profile, really look at it. What does it say about transformative works? Nothing? Anything?

Go to the primary location of your fanworks, wherever that might be. Fic journal or website or AO3 or FanFiction.net or any of the hundreds of other places you might store your fanworks. Do you have a profile there? Or a masterlist? What does it have to say regarding transformative works?

Because I'm a scientist by education, I ran some numbers, looking over the Dreamwidth journals that subscribe to mine. Out of 212 journals, only 53 had some mention of a transformative work policy either on the profile page or on a sticky post in their journal. That's about a quarter of the journals. It's not accurate, of course. I only looked in a limited number of locations, but it gives you a general feel of what it might be like out there in fandom.

I don't really care what your stance on transformative works is. If you haven't noticed, mine is overwhelmingly _for_ all types of transformative works. You don't have to agree with me. But take the time to post _your_ policy in your profile, so that people can find it.

I mean it. If you are uncomfortable with other people transforming your works, that's fine. Put a note up saying "I'm not comfortable with my fanworks being transformed at this time." It doesn't have to be political and you don't have to apologize for your choices. Just be clear. "Yes" or "No" or "Yes with caveats" or even "Ask me." 

If you would like more information to help you figure out how to word your statement, consider checking out these informative pieces of meta: this [post](http://sophinisba.dreamwidth.org/368932.html) by to authors who may want to give permission for podfic but don't actually like to listen to podfic; this [meta comment](http://kurt-blaine.livejournal.com/4928955.html?thread=127647931#t127647931) by about the positive feelings many podficcers have in reaction to repods of the same story; the [blanket permission to podfic list](http://fanlore.org/wiki/Blanket_Permission_to_Podfic) on [Fanlore](http://fanlore.org) where you can see the wording that many other authors have used in their [permission statements](http://fanlore.org/wiki/Blanket_permission) and use the wording that seems like the best match for your own stance.

As you're figuring out how to word your statement, keep in mind that permission to transform is an issue loaded with power differentials that most authors aren't fully aware of. The author has the power to withhold permission. And in wielding that power, too often authors tie their permission to conditions that are not actually essential to them and sometimes have negative effects for the person creating the transformative work. Saying something like "Drop me a link to the completed work" is a requirement which, depending on a person's mental state, could cost significant emotional energy to fulfill. Compare that to "I'd love it if you drop me a link to the completed work." See the difference? Put a little thought into what you're saying, because otherwise you may end up in a situation where someone gets hurt because you didn't see the difference.

Watch out for contradictions. _Don't_ say "Yes, I give permission for all transformative works but please ask first." Those are two separate things. Which is it, fanwork creator? Do I have to ask first, or can I just go ahead and create?

This is one of my perennial soapboxes and I've nagged any number of people into posting a transformative works policy. I will continue to do so.

* * *

The most common reason people tell me that they don't have a policy is because they didn't think anyone would _want_ to podfic/artify/mix/fold/spindle/staple their fanworks. 

Okay, I get this. I feel this way too, sometimes. You put up your fanwork and no one comments or seems to care and you just figure that no one likes your stuff. So, you think, why would anyone want to create a transformative fanwork of it?

I can only point out that the ratio of hits to feedback (comments or kudos) is very skewed. One of my most popular stories only has an 7% feedback rate and my story with the most hits at AO3 only has a 2% feedback. That doesn't mean they're not good stories. It just means that, for whatever reason, a majority of the people who clicked on the story didn't leave feedback.

And if you don't have a clear transformative works policy, podficcers and artists are more likely to pass your works by in favor of someone who _does_ have a clearly stated, easily found policy.

No matter who you are, or what kind of fanworks you create, I'm absolutely sure that someone out there has found them inspiring.

* * *

The other excuse people often have for not putting up a policy is "I don't do anything that people can transform."

Have you ever written a meta post? Made recs? Complied a picspam? Knitted or crocheted a fannish thing? Talked about how inspired you are by something in your fandom? All of this could be transformed. Someone might podfic your meta. Or make icons to go with your rec set. Or not!fic the hysterically funny captions you wrote for your picspam. Etc, etc, etc. This _is_ fandom we're talking about. If it exists, we _will_ find a way to transform it. So while you might not think what you're doing is creative, someone else probably does.

And specific to podficcers - your stance on repods is something that you should mention in your transformative policy. Not because someone needs _your_ permission to repod something, but so that they know they won't be stepping on your toes if they podfic something you already podficced. I saw very few of those while looking at profiles today.

Put up a policy. It just makes it easier for everyone, and who knows. Someone just might be inspired enough to transform one of your fanworks.

* * *

Imagine that you want to write a story that will _fix_ your favorite episode of your favorite television show in which your favorite character got killed off.

But before you can do that, you have to send a letter to the person who created the show, asking if it's okay that you write your story.

They might answer and say yes. They might answer and say no. They might ignore your letter and your email and your phone calls and totally blow off your request, even though you _know_ they're still around, because they keep posting to their blog. They might say "Oh, let me see a sample of your writing first" and then say no when you send them a copy of your best writing efforts. They might say yes and then a year later, demand that you take your story down. They might say yes and ask for editorial rights. They might be polite and supportive, but they also might be rude and dismissive and outright hostile.

Imagine having to do this every fucking time you want to write a story. I don't know about you, but I couldn't do it. The first time someone said no or told me that they thought fanworks were "creepy" or "wrong" would cause me to give up on fandom entirely. 

My point? A transformative works policy means I don't have to write my letter requesting permission. I already have an answer. Think about that. Think about how much it would suck to have to ask each time you wanted to be creative. Last night I came home thinking about writing a snippet based on a piece of art, and because the artist has a policy in place, I didn't have to ask. I just wrote and posted.

I'd be nice if everyone in fandom could be as spontaneous as that.

* * *

Here are some examples of transformative works policies:

Blanket yes policies to transformative works:  
[Mine](http://akamine_chan.dreamwidth.org/profile) (mostly adapted from helens78's )  
[helens78](http://helens78.dreamwidth.org/profile)  
[Profile](https://archiveofourown.org/users/elstaplador/profile) for  
[ciel_vert](http://ciel_vert.livejournal.com/155437.html)

Policies with caveats:  
[lucifuge5](http://lucifuge5.dreamwidth.org/profile)

"Ask me" policies:  
[klb](http://klb.dreamwidth.org/profile)

Blanket no to podfic policies (couldn't find blanket no to all transformative works):  
[hackthis](https://hackthis.livejournal.com/profile)

* * *

And my final note. I actually don't think that permission is needed to create transformative works, ever. I am very possessive of my works, but I cannot in all honesty say that transforming my work is wrong when I started by transforming someone else's work. But, right now, the view in fandom is that receiving permission is the polite way to do things, and as long as that is the prevailing opinion, I'm content to go with the flow. But I think this is a subject, as a recent post made clear, that still needs to be discussed. Extensively, in a way that allows us to hear everyone's voice, not just among podficcers, but fandom in general. Yeah? Yeah.

**Author's Note:**

> This is one of the few things that ever caught the attention of Fandom Fail Anon, because I'm a bossy bitch who likes to tell people what to do. And because the world is _still_ fucking fraught with people who are assholes about podfic.
> 
> A lot of people really disagreed that contacting a creator about permission can be a difficult task, and they felt that podficcers are being extra snowflake-y about the whole issue.
> 
> Weirdly enough, the other time I caught the attention of FFA was when I first started the Fandom Snowflake Challenge - a _lot_ of people were very insulted by the term _snowflake_.


End file.
